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Monday, September 10, 2007

If you've got little ones and you're into babywearing or baby fashion, chance are you've heard of "Babylegs." Assuming you haven't, I'll 'splain. Basically, they are baby leg-warmers (or arm-warmers) that you can throw in the diaper bag in case it gets colder later in the day while you're out and the baby's legs are getting too chilly. Or you can use them when baby starts to crawl so her little knees are protected from rug burns or hard wood floors. They are also popular with ECers (those Elimination Communication parents who infant potty train) since basically the kid has pants on that don't need to be pulled down to use the potty.

Or, if you're like me, you can love them mostly because they're funky and cute and they make your baby look a little bit punk rock.

If you do any research on them, you'll realize that everywhere you could try to buy them, they are a ridiculous $12/pr (even eBay)! I knew that there had to be some crafty mom out there who had tried to make these before. Why wonder how to make them on the cheap when Google esixts, right? Anyway, not too long into my little research project, I found an extremely useful Flickr tutorial where a lady had taken pictures of the whole production, effectively turning a cheap pair of knee socks into your very own DIY Babylegs in just 10 minutes. Now, I am NOT an experienced sewer. I have made a few things on the sewing machine (a few blankets, curtains for the Little Miss's room, etc), but nothing that required a pattern of any kind. I was unsure of whether I could pull it off, but the pattern was so easy-looking I just had to try.

My first attempt was on a pair of Dr Seuss Christmas knee highs that a former roomate of mine gave me in college for Christmas. Totally random. I barely ever wore them, but they were there in the drawer so I figured that they could be sacrificed for my first attempt. They turned out pretty cool/crazy, and they were so easy to make that I bought 3 more pairs of knee highs the other day (for about $2.50/pr) and made some more. I think they look hilarious and plan on making some more when I find more socks that I like.